How to Avoid Renovation Overload When Preparing Your Home for Sale
Are you thinking of moving? Putting your property up for sale and buying a new place to call home? You might be trying to get everything ready before having valuations, but how do you know what you need to do, and what you can leave for the buyers to do? Reading this article could save you a fortune!
When preparing to put your home on the market for sale, you may conduct research and come across advice on how to best present your property to ensure a swift sale and high offers. Usually, this advice will include tips on how to declutter or depersonalise your home so that you appeal to as many buyers as possible. But, when you are considering presenting your home in the best way possible, how do you know what you should change and what can be left as it is?
Unless your home is brand new or has been newly renovated, there are likely areas that could benefit from some improvements. Whether this is dated fittings or a little bit of light redecoration here and there, the key is to know when to stop. After all, it seems unnecessary to fully refurbish your property only to sell up and move out a few months later. By avoiding unnecessary changes, you can save a significant amount of money, which could be better invested in your new home.
So, when preparing your home for sale, what should you do to it and what can you leave alone? Knowing the answer to this question could save you time, energy and most importantly, money!
When selling a house it's generally not necessary to fix minor cosmetic issues. Unless your interior design is very bright to the point of being off-putting, most buyers will want to put their own stamp on a property, so there is no point in spending money on redecoration. Focus instead on safety and essential repairs. This could be something as simple as repairing something that you know will be highlighted in a survey report, such as a slipped tile or a blocked gutter.
The key is to make your property as appealing as possible to the average buyer. This way you will attract more viewers that will, in theory, attract more offers. If this means that you need to get rid of the wallpaper that your friends and family either love or hate, then so be it. But for the most part, this means that you are dealing with little DIY matters such as loose hinges or broken door handles. Remember, these are just small details in the grand scheme of your beautiful property.
You don't want your viewers to think that your property needs refurbishment, but neither are you expected to sell a pristine property that has undergone total renovation. As with all things, there is a balance. So, what should you do? Let's find that balance.
- Remove any polarising or particularly dated decoration - If your internal decoration is genuinely a little 'out there' or very dated and in need of doing, then it could improve your chances of selling if it is freshened up.
- Deal with odd jobs and DIY tasks that you've been putting off - a buyer will not be impressed if the door handle comes off in their hand, and it could mean that they feel the property needs a lot of work, when in reality this could be very cheap and simple to repair. For instance, fixing a loose hinge, repairing a leaky tap, or replacing a broken light switch are all simple tasks that can significantly improve the impression your home makes on potential buyers.
- Deal with any structural or maintenance issues that may be highlighted in a survey - this will prevent issues or the need for renegotiation of offers further down the line.
And what can you miss out?
- Dated fittings, such as kitchens and bathrooms, can be left as they are. There may be some amendments to the marketing price to accommodate these, but you don't know what type of finish the buyers will want, and so you can leave this to them to arrange for themselves.
- Painting - there is no need to paint the whole house white to sell. In fact, a little bit of colour can help a property to stand out from the crowd.
- There is no need to depersonalise your home by removing all family photographs or sentimental ornaments. Your buyers will feel more welcomed into a 'real' home rather than a showhome.
Overall, the aim is to make your home appealing and welcoming, ensuring that as many viewers as possible can envision themselves living there. If you nail this, you will be sure to sell.
If you are thinking of getting your home ready for sale, why not call our team to arrange a valuation appointment? This way, we can give you tailored tips on what you can do to present your home in the best way possible to get those offers rolling in.